6.2 Inbreeding

 Inbreeding

 I think we can all agree that inbreeding screws everything up. When inbreeding occurs it allows one or more alleles to dominate in a species, offspring after offspring. One of the benefits of inbreeding that may lead to the evolution of assertive mating is that the population would increase at a higher rate as individuals with similar phenotypes are mating. Also if the dominant phenotype is one that is favorable for their environment it will allow a species to thrive. Some of the cost of interbreeding that may have prompted the evolution of inbreeding avoidance also known as disassortative mating is that since individuals with similar phenotypes are mating, this will lead to less genetic diversity, an increase in the likelihood of fatal diseases, as well as while current generations may have a fair chance against predation, future generations may not. The reason that many organisms have seemed to favor disassortative mating over assertive mating is that the cost heavily outweighs the benefits. 

Comments

  1. Quinlyn La FonMarch 19, 2021 at 4:05 PM

    Hi Emily! I agree that evolution has led to disassortative mating as it helps to increase genetic variation in populations and helps prevent to prevent the fatal diseases that would be caused by accumulation of rare recessive alleles. Why do you think mating with similar phenotypes would cause the population to increase at a higher rate?

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  2. Gibson HoefgenMarch 23, 2021 at 5:46 PM

    Hi Emily!
    I agree with you when you said that in inbreeding, if a dominant trait is favorable for their environment, it will allow for a species to thrive. Another main concern of inbreeding is for the possibility of an unfavorable trait being in the family and 2 copies of that allele combining in one individual and affecting them.

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